Seeing
by AimeeCollins
Summary: Young Prince Arthur has never known love, nor kindness. Only a sorcerer in the dungeons has ever shown him kindness. Gaius convinces him that the strings of magic that he sees are just his imagination, and he keeps on overworking his servants. None of them ever finish the list of chores he gives them, until one day that was foretold in his dreams...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Gods, this was easy to write! And now you're thinking: "Easy to write, huh?" I love writing, I really do. I just wish someone would invent a machine to turn thoughts and imagination into written word! It would be so much easier for me! **

**Alas, I hope you enjoy this. A little warning though: ****Depending on the way you look at it, and concerning it being medieval times, there may be a bit of emotional/physicial abuse in this story. **

_**No strings attached…**_

The first time it happened, or rather, the first time that he recalled it happened, Arthur was five. He'd only just undergone his first flogging, but even worse, he'd been forced to flog someone else for the first time. He would never forget the utter helplessness that he'd felt that day, deep down in the cold, moist dungeons.

It was a sad thing, really. Unlike other children, Arthur had never been told a bedtime story. And although the servants would tidy his room and blow out the candles, no-one had ever tucked him in or looked under his bed to chase away the monsters hiding there. He always had to check under the bed and peek into the dark closet himself, and although he would've slept more soundly if his father or Gaius had done so, it had taught him to not feel fear for the shadows.

Arthur grew up without any friends. Once, when a new family had arrived in the city, Arthur had found the chance to play a ball-game with their children. The five and six year olds hadn't recognized the fine material that his clothes had been made out of, nor did they see any importance in the embroided dragon that rested on the shoulder of his red tunic. He'd enjoyed the game thoroughly, until he heard shouting and swords being drawn.

The five year old prince had watched as his newly found friends had dropped their balls, their jaws hanging agape in awe, their faces taking on a curious white tone. Arthur had realized that there was someone behind him and turned, to see that the royal garde, the king's Watchers, had drawn their swords against Arthur's now newly _lost_ friends.

As one of them had lifted him on his horse, Arthur had protested, saying that they were his friends and that he'd only wanted to play. But the knights had dismissed this and later, when the King had slapped him on his cheek for being so _foolish_, the king lectured him for associating with _commoners_. According to the king, they were no good, almost as bad as _sorcerers_.

Arthur, having only been five, had no idea what sorcerers or commoners were, but ever since he'd been extremely wary when around peasants and townsfolk. He did not know why, but he knew that when he tried to talk to them or play with them, a flogging or beating would follow. And so, our young prince learned that being friendly to the people would only result in pain.

Alas, the first time that he saw the strings of energy, intertwined with each other, was after he'd been flogged for the first time. Despite his father's forbidding, he'd still snuck out some food to feed the scrawny, skinny dog that always lingered around the castle. He'd only just fed the scraps of leftover meat to the animal when a great, Uther-shaped shadow chased the poor dog away.

Arthur turned around, deadly afraid, and saw his father, sword in hand. He had no choice but to watch as his father drew his sword from his sheath and beheaded the dog, right in front of his only son. Another lesson was learned: do not be friendly to animals, for they are unintelligent beasts that live by instincts only.

He was to be given seven lashes, but the man who'd been send down into the dungeon to carry them out had pitied the young prince and had only given him five. Of course, the king saw that there were only five marks on his son's back and ordered for another whip to be brought. The man was stripped of his tunic and tied to the dungeon bars, blindfolded as well. And the king watched as his son was forced to give the poor compassionate man nine lashes, two extra for the ones that he'd spared Arthur from. Yet another lesson burned itself into the young prince's memory: do not show mercy.

Arthur was left there, ordered to untie the unfortunate man. But Arthur, being only five, was unable to reach the ropes that kept the man tied to the bars. Frustrated, the prince started crying and stammering apologies that he knew would result in more pain if his father heard them. It was then when the man winked at him, for his blindfold had been the one thing that Arthur _could_ reach and had taken off him, and his eyes flashed gold.

Mesmerized, Arthur saw intertwined strings of golden energy folding around the ropes, as a loop, and untied the knots. The ropes fell to the ground and the man crouched down in front of the prince. 'This is our little secret, okay?' he'd asked, and then he'd turned around and Arthur had seen that there were no marks on the man's back.

Arthur had gasped and protested, because if his father saw this, the man would surely be executed. But, the man winked once again and slithering strings of energy faded into his back, as if they sank into his very skin. In front of Arthur's very own eyes, whipping marks appeared. In awe, Arthur had touched his own back, to feel the slight bump of the wounds still to be present, but they caused him no pain at all.

His father had said more than once that sorcerers and magic were evil. But, the king had made one mistake. He'd never told nor shown his son what magic was. Therefore, Arthur did not know that the man had used sorcery, and when he was old enough to finally understand, he convinced himself that what he had seen was just his imagination.

When he confided in Gaius, speaking of those strange tendrils that seemed to exist out of energy, the court physician told him stare at a candle flame intensively. Arthur had done so with great concentration, convinced that the physician would help him understand what he was seeing and _why_ he was seeing it. But then Gaius told him to look away and tell him what he saw.

'I see a strange spot clouding my vision.' the seven year old prince had answered with a frown on his face. And then Gaius told him that what he'd seen must've been a simple trick of the light. That or his mind had tried to distract him from the pain by deceiving him. Arthur left the physician's room, deeply disappointed. He had no friends, he was sure that his father hated him, and Gaius did not believe him.

…..

He was ten when he got his first friend. Of course, playing any ball-games with her was out of the question, as she was a girl. She was Gorlois' daughter, and she'd arrived with five knights in shining armour escorting her. Word reached the king, his best friend had died and had sent his daughter to Camelot. The king had promised Gorlois that he would care for the girl as if he was his own.

Ironically, it seemed to Arthur as though Morgana was treated better and kinder than he himself was. He did not know it at the time, but the poor girl was plagued by horrible nightmares every night. The first time it had happened, Uther had sat at the frightened girl's bed, for she would not let him leave. Only when she'd finally fallen asleep could the king squirm his numb hand out of her tight grasp.

Arthur had been woken up by something. In his sleep, he'd heard the young girl cry out, but when he was awake he could not remember her screams. So, when he saw his father leave the girl's chambers, Arthur wrongly assumed that his father had told her a bedtime story and tucked her in. The young boy snuck back into his chamber, a trail of tears still fresh on his cheeks.

The court physician would visit her chambers from then on, when the sun sank beneath the mountains and made way for the moon and the stars. Again wrongly, Arthur assumed that Gaius was now telling her bedtime stories and tucking her in when his father was unable to. In truth, the court physician brought her sleeping drafts that did not aid her.

…..

Later, when Arthur was taught how to handle a sword, he demanded that Morgana had to learn it too. His grand scheme, as he liked to think about it, was that he would train as hard as he could to eventually beat her. His father would see how strong he was, and he would finally be proud of his only son.

But, when they finally faced each other, Morgana had been exhausted from yet another sleepless night, tormented by nightmares that would not leave her be. The girl had tripped over something on the ground and fallen flat on her face. It resulted in a gash on her cheek, which Gaius quickly tended to. And Arthur got slapped on his cheek by his father, being lectured about how it was cowardly to fight a woman.

But, after that, Morgana visited his chambers that night and assured him that she was fine and that it wasn't his fault. She convinced him that she was just clumsy and that he was not to be blamed. They laughed about it, and Arthur gained his first friend ever. In secret, Morgana had heard the king's harsh words and had seen the bruise on his cheek. She vowed to herself that she would make him pay one day.

…..

Ten years later, Arthur had fired more servants than anyone had ever thought to be possible. He treated them like dirt and overworked them with an endless list of chores. Not even one of them was able to finish them all in one day. Several were severely injured when Arthur yelled at them and threw goblets and glasses at them. One even lost his sight, because of a shard of glass that had found its way into his eyes, when Arthur threw a glass at him. But Arthur did not apologize. He simply ordered for the man to be brought to Gaius, and never saw him again.

…..

He'd pushed the thoughts about the strings of energy, of _magic_, to the back of his mind, constantly telling himself that it was just his imagination, a trick of the light. But one day, when a plague hit the city, he saw it again. He crouched down, ignoring the people that were looking at him curiously, and reached out hesitantly. Whispers flooded his mind when his fingers touched the blue strings, and he quickly pulled back.

But then he frowned, and reached out once again. _Please, Goddess, please let my baby live! Please destroy this evil plague that has befallen on the kingdom! Goddess, Goddess, I will give you anything, anything You desire. You may take my life if you deem it necessary to save my child, but please do!_

He withdrew his hand and frowned at the strings. Someone's child was ill, very ill. He recalled Gaius mentioning something about the young having the greatest chance of survival. Ignoring the townsfolk, that stared at him openly now, he sprang to his feet and followed the blue strings of magic. They twisted and turned, and now that he paid attention, he saw them criss-crossing with other tendrils of energy. He had no time to look into them, however.

He sprinted to the small house, barely more than a shack, and opened the door without knocking. He found a woman on the floor, in front of a crib with a severely-ill infant in it. There were candles everywhere, and when Arthur looked down to the ground, he saw a circle drawn with sand and salt.  
'Sire!' the woman cried. She jumped up so quickly, frightened to death by his sudden appearance, that she knocked over a candlestick. Arthur lunged forward and caught the thing just before it would fall on some sacks of flour, setting fire to the entire house.

The woman looked at him, with eyes wide open in fear. He saw that her eyes were beginning to get watery. Yes, he wanted to assure her that he wouldn't turn her in, but first he peeked into the crib. The little infant looked dangerously skinny, for Arthur could count its ribs and his skin had a grey hue to it.

'Please, sire!' the woman cried while she dropped on her knees in front of him when he'd turned. He watched her, his facial expression strangely unreadable.  
'I only want to save my child sire! Please understand… You can execute me, but please spare him!' the woman begged. Arthur looked at her, and then at the crib.

'You need not swear. Especially since you just offered your life to your Goddess, to heal your child.' he said softly. The woman's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened and closed again, like a fish.

Arthur felt conflicted. This child was dying. His mother loved him so much that she would gladly give her life for him. To Arthur, such love was a foreign thing. _Morgana_ had been the one to capture his father's heart, not him. He'd been taught not to show compassion, but the memory of that man in the dungeons had shaken his resolve.

'Do not fear. I will send the court physician to your house. He will do whatever is in his power. You only need to promise me one thing.' Arthur said softly. The woman got up on her feet and nodded, hope barely concealed in her eyes.

'Anything. I'll do anything, my Lord.' she said with a smile on her face. Arthur returned the smile and realized that it felt good to smile at someone else. He rarely ever smiled, for he had no reason to.

'Teach him well.' Arthur said, before he left the house to fetch Gaius.

…..

Arthur was unaware of it, but he quickly gained a reputation amongst the sorcerers in Camelot. They spoke of king Uther's son, who somehow managed to track down those who used magic for the good. They spoke of tales of the prince doing as much as he could to help them. Word even spread to the Druids. One of them visited Camelot and managed to speak to the prince in private. And so it happened that Arthur helped them get their supplies, when it was too dangerous for them to enter Camelot themselves.

But still, Arthur kept treating his servants as dirt. He knew no different. He kept overflowing them with endless lists of chores and seemingly impossible tasks, and none of them managed to complete them. Until one day…


	2. Chapter 2

**A big THANK YOU! to the people that have taken the time to review and favourite this story!**

**In order of review, THANK YOU TO:**

**Felicity P**

**Wereteen25**

**Fairy goatmother**

**xxHineAngelxx**

**Adnarim Neko**

**This chapter is a bit smaller than the first one. Simply because there was nothing more to write. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

_Arthur lead his white horse through the thick forest. He had no idea where he was going, as he could only see so far in front of him and the sun was so bright that it nearly blinded him. His fine red tunic stuck to his soaked skin. The heat was overwhelming, almost too much for him. The white stallion that he was mounted on, however, didn't seem to be bothered by it in the slightest. It would snort now and then and sometimes it stopped to graze._

_Arthur had the vague feeling that his horse was leading him. But what confused him was that he'd never seen it before: it wasn't a horse from the stables in Camelot. He seemed to be the only one in the forest, and everything looked so bright and peaceful, so he leaned back and for once he let fate drag him along. _

_The horse continued walking in a lazy pace. Normally it would've irritated Arthur, for he was a man of speed and getting things over with quickly, but now he just seized the opportunity and looked around. The trees bore leaves in the most vibrant emerald colour that he'd ever seen. The stallion followed a creek that ran crystal clear through the forest: Arthur could see the fish and frogs in it. And again, the fish were coloured very brightly, in just about every colour of the rainbow. The frogs were bright emerald, bright purple or neon green with bold red stripes and spots._

_The animals looked like they came from a different world. Something just didn't seem right. Arthur felt like he was missing something, like he should be worried. But the humidity and the heat pushed his worries away before they could fully develop and so they ventured on, deeper into the forest._

_At last, his horse halted in front of a mesmerizing meadow in which the creek sprang into a series of small pools that looked like they were _boiling_. Even though there was no visible connection, Arthur could _feel _the energy going through them, connecting them. Even on his horse, disconnected from the ground, Arthur felt the energy dashing through the ground like vines. He could feel them pulsating, vibrating and humming at the same time. And in the centre of the forest, the meadow, the pools, they were interwoven in a complex pattern, a symbol, that vibrated with the power of the Old Religion, of _magic_. _

_Arthur dismounted the horse and threw his tunic to the side. The heat, having free access to his skin, immediately attacked it. Droplets of sweat descended from his upper body. He looked around for his sword or bow, so that he could stick it in the pool to find out whether it was boiling or not. There was no saddle on his horse, and so there were no saddlebags. It surprised him: the journey had been so comfortable that he hadn't even noticed that the horse hadn't been saddled. _

_He stuck his toe into the water and was surprised to find that it was cool. Not cold, but just the right temperature to offer respite from the blazing heat. He sank in almost immediately, sighing in relief. _

_And then he realized that he wasn't alone. _

_Someone was watching him. He could feel it. _

_Arthur looked behind him, expecting someone in the other pool, but there was nothing but water. His horse had stumbled off, grazing at the lush grass. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned back. _

_On the other side of the pool was a man. His hair was black, his eyes a vibrant blue. His lips full and pulled into a slight grin. Arthur raised an eyebrow at the man. _

'_Who are you?' he asked, cringing at how his voice broke through the blissful silence in the clearing. _

_The stranger laughed, but said nothing. _

'_How did I get here?' Arthur asked, hoping that he would get a reply._

_The man's lips curled up into a smile.  
'You are in the centre of the Old Religion.' he said. He didn't explain any more, as if he wanted it to remain shrouded in mystery._

'_Only those who are pure of heart and soul can come here.' _

_Arthur frowned. He wasn't pure of heart. He wouldn't show mercy even if an enemy was begging for it! He was never friendly to animals or townsfolk! _

'_No I'm not.' Arthur said, loathing dripping off his words. He frowned and knew that tears were threatening to fall. The strangers pushed himself off, using the edge of the pool and swam toward him. He just leaned against the edge next to Arthur without saying a word, just studying him with that weird smile on his face. As if he knew something that Arthur_ didn't _know._

'_No. That's what you've been _taught_ to do.' the stranger said. 'But just because you act the way, doesn't mean that you _are_ the way.' Arthur frowned at that. Despite the situation, he was sure that that sentence would've made Gaius cringe. The court physician had taught him how to read and write. Until his father had decided to hire some nobleman for it. _

'_Your heart is pure. Your soul is pure. You just… don't know it yet.' _

_The sun was getting brighter and brighter, and Arthur squinted his eyes and brought up his arm to shield him from the light. He heard the man chuckle and felt the water rippling around him. The stranger was moving. _

'_Wait!' Arthur said quickly. His voice echoed through the clearing and he heard himself a thousand times, and a thousand times louder than he'd said it. 'How do I get back here again? What's your name?' he asked urgently. _

_The man chuckled and then laughed. The laughter attacked his ears, as it echoed through the clearing a thousand times. _

'_The Druids call me Emrys.' _

…..

Arthur shot up in his bed, his sheets soaked, his hair sticking to his head. His heart was racing, as if he'd just galloped on a horse in a speed that would make him believe that they were _flying_, instead of galloping. His skin was mired with sweat and he sighed. Arthur jumped out of bed, ordered a servant to bring clean sheets and to run him a bath with cool water, longing to feel the coolness of the clearing again.

None of his servants was able to get the temperature right.

…..

Over time, the dreams started progressing. Arthur had gotten into a routine of turning in when the sun went down. He got up with the sun as well. His father didn't seem to notice that his son seemed more refreshed each morning, nor did he notice that Arthur was constantly humming or whistling a happy tune.

The knights took over his habit of getting up early. They teased him with the humming and whistling and started making bets about what could possibly have caused the prince to be so happy. Sir Leon was sure that his father had arranged a marriage for him, with a pretty and wealthy princess from the neighbouring kingdom. Sir Lancelot thought that his father was finally giving him the respect that he deserved. Percival, however, made a bet that Arthur had fallen in love with Morgana.

It was what scared Arthur the most. He and Emrys were spending time together at the clearing, for sure. And even though Arthur longed to spend as much time there as possible,_ with _Emrys, he wasn't in love. Even though his arm sometimes _spontaneously _wrapped around the other's man's waist. Even though sometimes, Arthur caught Emrys looking at him like he wanted to kiss him.

Arthur shook his head, grabbed a mace and forced Percival to duel with him.

Arthur won, of course.

…..

'You are coming to be of age, son.' Uther said suddenly, while he, Arthur and Morgana were seated at the dining table in the Great Hall. Arthur nodded, but continued pricking food on his fork so that he wouldn't have to look at his father just yet.

When Arthur did look up, the king watched him with a stern expression. He ordered the servants that were serving them food and wine to give them privacy. The servants hurriedly obeyed and left them alone. Morgana was about to get up and leave as well, when Uther gestured for her to remain seated. She sank back into her chair with a frown on her face. Arthur and Morgana's eyes met for a moment: they both looked worried.

'You are my only child and thus the heir to the throne of Camelot.' Uther said. 'So I have decided that you are to marry.'

Arthur sank into his chair. He had expected it, of course. Every king should have a wife, and children as well. But why did he it have to be _now_? Why not later, when he was king?

'My Lord, if you are to discuss Arthur's future marriage, then why am I here?' Morgana asked politely. She knew not to question the king's motives.

Suddenly, Arthur _knew_. He felt his stomach flip-flopping around and fought nausea.

'You are here because you are to marry my son.' Uther said blatantly. They stared at each other in shock.

'But my Lord, you cannot ask that of me!' Morgana said indignantly. Uther lifted his hand and slapped her on the cheek. Both Morgana and Arthur recoiled at the sharp sound of a hand colliding with a cheek. Morgana looked shocked and bit her lip, evidently fighting tears that were threatening to spill.

'It is settled then. You are to marry when Morgana turns twenty-one.' Uther said. 'According to many physicians, fertility is greatest in women of that age.'

Arthur couldn't find it in him to force himself to finish his plate. It was venison, his favourite, but his appetite was lost completely. Only three years left.

…..

In a Druid camp far away from Camelot, in Cenred's land, a young boy packed a knapsack with what little possessions he had. A couple of worn-out tunics, a couple of old breeches and some neckerchiefs went in the cloth bag. A hand went through his black hair and his blue eyes glowed golden when a dragon sculpture flew into the sack.

He set off to Camelot in the dead of night. He was sure that he would reach it at dawn. And the Druids would make sure that the package was delivered shortly before his arrival. He had it all mapped out. Nothing could go wrong.

Off to Camelot it was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to **_**xxHinaAngelxx**_**, **_**Wereteen25**_**, **_**Adnarim Neko, BabyGlover for reviewing!  
Adnarim Neko**_** brought something to my attention that I'd forgotten to clarify: Arthur and Morgana **_**aren't**_** related to each other in this story. Although I don't think that it'd be uncommon for half-siblings to marry in their time, I don't think that Uther would be **_**that **_**crazy, even in this fanfic. Morgana is Gorlois'es daughter and Uther's ward. **

**Enjoy this chapter!**

He reached Camelot at dawn; just like he'd expected to. But when he saw the castle ahead, he abruptly stopped. Stretching out, all the way to where he was standing, over three big hills, was a queue of people. And the queue reached all the way to Camelot's gates. The raven-haired man groaned and switched his knapsack to his other shoulder. He would be waiting for a couple of hours the least. Would he still be on time?

…..

When he finally reached the gates and was about to step through, he was stopped short by a broad arm against his chest, pushing him back. He looked up annoyed and sighed when he saw the guard dressed in red and gold.  
'Name.' the guard asked, no, _said_. The man smirked and wondered if he should give his birth-name or his Druid-name, but decided to settle with the first.  
'Merlin. I'm from Ealdor, in Cenred's land. It's not very far away actually.' he said.  
The guard looked him up and down sceptically. Merlin figured that brown breeches, red tunics and blue neckerchiefs probably weren't very in-fashion in Camelot.

'Oh, everyone wears these. Keeps the sweat from soaking our shirts.' Merlin said with a smirk. But the guard saw the impatience and annoyance in his eyes. And some other emotion that he couldn't place, but that felt very dangerous, and let him through without laughing about it.

He found another guard, a less annoyed, friendlier looking one and asked him where the physician's quarters were. In his knapsack was a letter from his mother, Hunith, explaining why he was in Camelot and what she wanted the older man to teach her son.

Merlin found the physician's quarters, _empty_. He sighed again. Fate just wouldn't cut him some slack: everything seemed to go wrong this morning.

'Gaius?' he asked, unsure. He must've sounded ridiculous, asking for a man in an empty room. But then he heard wood splintering, looked up, and saw the physician falling off the balcony. Merlin rolled his eyes, and while he did so they glowed golden. The matrass in the corner slid over to break the old man's fall.

'You didn't see that. Nope, I did nothing.' Merlin muttered under his breath sarcastically, while Gaius jumped up and rushed toward him.

'What did you just do?!' Gaius asked.

_I just told you, I did nothing. _Merlin thought. He shook his head.  
'Nothing, sir. I did nothing. Nope!' he tried, but the physician obviously wasn't convinced.

'Did you use a spell in your head? A silent incantation?' the man asked. Merlin sighed heavily and dropped his knapsack to the ground.

_I used elemental magic. It just happens instinctively. And yes, I know, it's unheard of. Blah blah blah. _Merlin thought, but he just shrugged and said: 'I didn't do any of that. It just happens. I can't really control it.'

He showed Gaius his letter. Gaius went on and on about how he'd never seen any magical usage like Merlin's and how unusual it was. The older man had never heard of anyone being able to naturally do magic: everyone had to study it. When Merlin was finally excused, he told Gaius that he was going to take a bath and disappeared into his room.

…..

In his room, Merlin emptied his knapsack. He put the dragon sculpture into the cabin and left his clothes on the floor. He would put those away later.

He peeked out of his room, to see Gaius gathering a collection of potions and bottles with strange looking liquids in them. After Gaius left, Merlin knelt down on the floor and pulled a large wooden chest out from under his bed.

The lock was opened by a golden glow of his eyes. He slowly drew back the lid and studied the contents. One single arrow, crafted from the finest oak wood. The tip was made from a quartz crystal, that seemed to have golden swirls of energy in it. Merlin touched the tip and the energy became rampant, swirling around and through itself chaotically, as if it wanted to get out of the crystal.

He muttered something under his breath, and the arrow in his hand disappeared. Another mutter made the arrow visible again. Pleased, Merlin wrapped it into a cloth and put it back into its chest.

…..

'I don't think an execution is a reason to celebrate!' Morgana yelled. Several servants looked up at her harsh voice, but most of them were used to her temper by now. Uther's expression contorted to anger and he leaned forward in his throne.

'You _will_ attend the banquet and you _will _meet Lady Helen before the celebration. A Queen needs to attend every celebration, every tournament and every banquet if she wants to show her people that she has power over the kingdom.' he said shortly.

Morgana seethed and balled her fists.  
'Then I don't want to be Queen!' she sneered. As she'd expected, Uther's face darkened. She smiled a little. Making him angry was what she'd been going for.

'You will be Queen. You will attend the banquet. And that is the end of it.' the King said. He gestured for her to leave.

'You, go and clean the Great Hall.' Uther thundered at a man with a blue neckerchief. Morgana caught him looking at them, but she wasn't sure if he was confused or just indifferent about the king's stance. She'd never seen him before, so he had no idea who she was and didn't know about her arranged marriage.

'Eh, I'm not a servant, sire.' the man said awkwardly. The king's eyes spat fire and the man quickly took a step back.

'I don't care!' Uther said. 'Go and clean! And you-' he said, looking at Morgana. 'Dress yourself for the banquet. Make sure you look _decent_. That revealing piece of cloth that you call a _red dress_ is out of the question!'

Morgana bit her lip and put her hands on her hips.

'When I'm Queen, I'll make sure that everything that you hate is _encouraged_ in the kingdom. Sorcerers will be looked up at, instead of being executed just for _knowing_ about magic.' she said softly. But her tone was dangerously low and gained the attention of the man with the neckerchief.

'How _dare_ you.' Uther said dangerously, eyes narrowed. 'Guards! Lock her in the dungeons until half an hour before the banquet!' he ordered.

Morgana was dragged out of the throne room kicking and screaming. If Arthur and the man with the neckerchief hadn't been watching her, they might just have seen each other, only separated by the room between them…

…..

Merlin sat down next to Gaius at one of the tables. He looked at the king, who was talking to one his knights. Apparently, something was funny, because they both laughed. Merlin felt bile rise to his throat and swallowed uneasily. He was disgusted by it. How could this King, this _man_, be so cruel his own _daughter_ of all people?

'Gaius, what's Uther's daughter called?' Merlin asked curiously. The older man nearly choked on his water and coughed. Merlin slapped him on his back worriedly.

'Have you gone _blind_? That's his _son_!' the physician cried. Thankfully, because of the constant chatter, the king nor his _son_ heard them, but some heads close to them turned around. Merlin felt heat rise to his cheeks and chuckled.

'I know that Arthur is a man, Gaius. I mean the woman with the black hair. The king had her locked in the dungeons because she opposed him.' Merlin said.

'Ah. You mean Morgana, Uther's ward.' Gaius explain. Merlin nodded and was about to mention the fight that he'd witnessed between them, but his attention was drawn by the opening doors.

The woman strode through the doors, her head held high. Her hair was a true masterpiece, put up in a fashion drew attention to her high cheekbones. Although she was smiling, Merlin could see that she looked a bit uneasy.

She wore a red dress, though. A dress that the king had clearly forbidden her to wear. Merlin didn't pay attention to the king, though, because the blonde haired prince rushed forward and grabbed her arm, obviously concerned. The woman smiled a bit and seemed to be reassuring him, though Merlin couldn't hear what they were saying.

His attention was drawn to the prince. He sank back into his chair, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

They walked away without glancing his way once. Merlin sighed in relief and settled back. Everything would go according to plan.

…..

Arthur kept a close eye on Morgana while the banquet proceeded. He hadn't seen her at all during the preparations, but he'd assumed that she'd been in her chambers, getting ready. The burns on her wrist, however, had told him otherwise. He _had_ tried to ask her about it, but all she'd said was that she'd be okay and that he needn't worry.

He sat in his chair, seething on the inside. His hands itched to tell his father off, to do _something_. But he knew that he'd only get punished for it.

Still, he was about to turn to his father and say something when the doors opened and Lady Helen entered. She smiled at her audience and Uther announced her.

When she began to sing, Arthur sat upright. At first glance, nothing seemed to be wrong. To anyone else, she'd look just like a woman singing an aria. But Arthur wasn't _anyone else_. He saw the strings of energy that seemed to come out of every pore in her body. They weaved into each other, weaving a web that slowly fell down on them.

Arthur struggled to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids suddenly felt like they were made of lead. Despite the woman's obvious power, he managed to keep his eyes open, even if only just. Enough to see the dagger that she pulled out of her skirts.

Arthur's brain worked hard, trying to find a way to get out of here. He found that he could only barely move his little finger, and only just. The spell pressed down on him like a heavy blanket, almost smothering him. His eyes darted around, looking for someone who was unaffected. His vision became blurry, and he _thought_ that he saw a red and blue spot that seemed to be moving.

He heard chains snap and saw the chandelier fall down on Lady Helen. The smothering feeling immediately disappeared and he took a deep breath, convinced that the danger was gone now. But the woman, who obviously wasn't Lady Helen anymore, but an old hag, crawled out from under the chandelier and took a few shaky steps forward.

She threw the dagger, right before an arrow embedded itself into her chest.

Arthur didn't see what happened to her, though, because he was abruptly pushed out his chair, unto the ground, out of the dagger's way. He heard the woman gasp, but he was too busy trying to find out who'd saved his life.

Raven-black hair. Blue eyes.

'_You_!' Arthur gasped, completely amazed. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. The man from his dreams – _literally_!- looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Arthur was about to ask a million questions when he and the man were pulled on their feet.

'You saved my son's life!' Uther said. The black-haired man – _Emrys_?- chuckled nervously and assured the king that he need not reward him.

But Uther, for some miraculous reason that Arthur would like to thank him for, decided that it would be a reward for the man to serve his son. And so, the man that Arthur had seen in his dreams, became his manservant.

…..

'What's your name?' Arthur asked, trying not to sound too eager, while they walked to his chambers. Arthur had his plan all worked out. He was sure that this man was Emrys, but he was disturbed by the fact that Emrys didn't seem to know him. Had Arthur been the only one who'd had the dreams?

'Merlin. I'm from Ealdor.' the man said cheerfully. Arthur frowned and tried vainly to remember where the hell Ealdor was.

'It's in Cenred's land.' Merlin clarified. Arthur nodded thoughtfully and opened the door to his chambers. The place was pure chaos. Arthur had fired his last servant just this morning, hence the reason why Uther was so enthusiastic to hiring one that wasn't from Camelot.

'Ah. I see. Isn't magic tolerated in Cenred's land?' Arthur asked, keeping a close eye on Merlin's reaction. Merlin, however, just shrugged.

'I suppose it is.' Merlin said. Arthur wondered if Merlin knew that magic was outlawed in Camelot. Maybe he didn't know, and that was because he talked about it so easily?

The arrow was obviously made from magic, though. Gaius was still looking into it. Whoever had shot that arrow, had obviously tried to save his life.

'I want you to clean my room, polish my armour, sharpen my sword, scrub my boots, exercise my dogs, muck out my stables…' Arthur said. As the list continued to grow bigger, so did Merlin's eyes. Arthur deliberately told him to finish it all before dawn, though.

…..

Merlin woke him up that morning, cheerfully announcing that all of the chores were done.

'You did all of them?' Arthur asked, bewildered. Merlin nodded cheerfully and put down the platter with food.

'You even mucked out the stables and exercised my dogs?' Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded. 'Yep. And I'm pretty sure that your sword can cut through stone right now.'

He left Arthur alone after tidying the room. The prince sat there, completely bewildered.

The first servant to complete his list of chores.


End file.
